Jailed murder suspect recounts deadly shooting

Published: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, March 1, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.

When Jonnah Walters walked into the visiting area of the Terrebonne Parish jail, she didn’t see a hardened killer on the other side of the glass. She saw a sister who looked scared and ashamed.

“When she looked up and saw me and my aunt, she just hung her head and started crying,” Walters said. “At first, she didn’t want to pick up the phone and talk.”

Walters’ younger sister, Ciegie Brown Cheramie, 25, of Ovett, Miss., is jailed in connection with the death of a man whose body was recovered from a Dulac swamp Sunday.

She and two others — Troy Jackson, 26, of Gibson, and Brandi Perdue, 18, of Destrehan — are charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and obstruction of justice. Cheramie is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.

The victim, 22-year-old Sergio Castellano of Cut Off, was lured out of a Houma bar late Saturday by the three suspects with the promise of “female companionship,” Sheriff Jerry Larpenter told The Courier. “We believe the initial plan was to rob the individual.”

They left the bar and piled into Cheramie’s Dodge pickup, police said. The young mother from Jones County was driving and Castellano was in the passenger’s seat; Jackson and Perdue were in the back seat, Cheramie told her sister during their brief visit on Thursday.

Cheramie recounted what happened next in horrifying detail.

“She said the guy, T.J., shot (Castellano) in the head like four or five times” while Cheramie was driving, Walters said. “She thought he was shooting her.”

Jackson then put the gun to Cheramie’s head, and he and Perdue both yelled and cursed at her, Cheramie told Walters.

“He was telling her to turn the (expletive) truck around and let him out, and Brandi was saying, ‘Drive, (expletive), drive,’” Walters said, recalling what her sister told her.

Cheramie told her sister that she had known Jackson and Perdue for about a week.

Walters said they didn’t talk about what happened at the bar, before the shooting.

Cheramie had gone to south Louisiana to visit her 5-year-old son, who is in the custody of his father. The two were married for about a year, Walters said.

Cheramie also has an 8-year-old daughter from a previous relationship who lives with her in Ovett and attends South Jones Elementary. The girl was born when Cheramie was a 16-year-old student at South Jones High School. Cheramie, who dropped out of school at 16, was unemployed.

Walters, 23, has been married for six years and has a successful photography business. She has a 5-year-old son and is eight months pregnant. She was trying to arrange to get temporary custody of her niece.

“We just have two completely different lives,” Walters said of her sister.

Walters was quick to say that her sister isn’t a saint, “but she’s no killer,” she added.

“I knew she drank … and maybe prescription drugs,” Walters said.

“She’s good with her kids and she’s a hard worker” when she helps out at their grandparents’ produce stand, Walters said.

Cheramie had never been in jail before now, to her sister’s knowledge.

And she isn’t adapting well to being behind bars, Walters said, adding that Cheramie was placed on “suicide watch” for her first few days and has since been put on the prescription tranquilizer Prozac.

“She told me she passed the shooter in the hall (in jail) and just started crying,” Walters said. “She was scared to go out and mingle with the others.”

Walters said she found out that Jackson “is known to cause problems” in the area.

“To fire off that many rounds like that,” Walters said, “he would have to be ruthless.”

It could be two to four years before her sister’s case goes to trial, Walters said after meeting with prosecutors.

So, she is encouraging her sister to try to get some benefit from the time she’s incarcerated.

“She probably needs to dry out,” Walters said, “and I told her she should try to finish her education. She’s so young. She has her whole life ahead of her.”

<p>When Jonnah Walters walked into the visiting area of the Terrebonne Parish jail, she didn't see a hardened killer on the other side of the glass. She saw a sister who looked scared and ashamed.</p><p>“When she looked up and saw me and my aunt, she just hung her head and started crying,” Walters said. “At first, she didn't want to pick up the phone and talk.”</p><p>Walters' younger sister, Ciegie Brown Cheramie, 25, of Ovett, Miss., is jailed in connection with the death of a man whose body was recovered from a Dulac swamp Sunday. </p><p>She and two others — Troy Jackson, 26, of Gibson, and Brandi Perdue, 18, of Destrehan — are charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery and obstruction of justice. Cheramie is being held in lieu of a $1 million bond.</p><p>The victim, 22-year-old Sergio Castellano of Cut Off, was lured out of a Houma bar late Saturday by the three suspects with the promise of “female companionship,” Sheriff Jerry Larpenter told The Courier. “We believe the initial plan was to rob the individual.” </p><p>They left the bar and piled into Cheramie's Dodge pickup, police said. The young mother from Jones County was driving and Castellano was in the passenger's seat; Jackson and Perdue were in the back seat, Cheramie told her sister during their brief visit on Thursday.</p><p>Cheramie recounted what happened next in horrifying detail.</p><p>“She said the guy, T.J., shot (Castellano) in the head like four or five times” while Cheramie was driving, Walters said. “She thought he was shooting her.”</p><p>Jackson then put the gun to Cheramie's head, and he and Perdue both yelled and cursed at her, Cheramie told Walters.</p><p>“He was telling her to turn the (expletive) truck around and let him out, and Brandi was saying, 'Drive, (expletive), drive,'” Walters said, recalling what her sister told her.</p><p>Cheramie told her sister that she had known Jackson and Perdue for about a week.</p><p>Walters said they didn't talk about what happened at the bar, before the shooting.</p><p>Cheramie had gone to south Louisiana to visit her 5-year-old son, who is in the custody of his father. The two were married for about a year, Walters said. </p><p>Cheramie also has an 8-year-old daughter from a previous relationship who lives with her in Ovett and attends South Jones Elementary. The girl was born when Cheramie was a 16-year-old student at South Jones High School. Cheramie, who dropped out of school at 16, was unemployed.</p><p>Walters, 23, has been married for six years and has a successful photography business. She has a 5-year-old son and is eight months pregnant. She was trying to arrange to get temporary custody of her niece. </p><p>“We just have two completely different lives,” Walters said of her sister. </p><p>Walters was quick to say that her sister isn't a saint, “but she's no killer,” she added. </p><p>“I knew she drank … and maybe prescription drugs,” Walters said. </p><p>“She's good with her kids and she's a hard worker” when she helps out at their grandparents' produce stand, Walters said.</p><p>Cheramie had never been in jail before now, to her sister's knowledge.</p><p>And she isn't adapting well to being behind bars, Walters said, adding that Cheramie was placed on “suicide watch” for her first few days and has since been put on the prescription tranquilizer Prozac.</p><p>“She told me she passed the shooter in the hall (in jail) and just started crying,” Walters said. “She was scared to go out and mingle with the others.”</p><p>Walters said she found out that Jackson “is known to cause problems” in the area.</p><p>“To fire off that many rounds like that,” Walters said, “he would have to be ruthless.”</p><p>It could be two to four years before her sister's case goes to trial, Walters said after meeting with prosecutors.</p><p>So, she is encouraging her sister to try to get some benefit from the time she's incarcerated.</p><p>“She probably needs to dry out,” Walters said, “and I told her she should try to finish her education. She's so young. She has her whole life ahead of her.”</p>